


A Study in Love

by bumbleholmes



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: (abt fiction), (its all acd), Arthur Conan Doyle Canon References, Canon Queer Character, External Source, Fanwork Research & Reference Guides, History, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Nonfiction, Oscar Wilde - Freeform, Oscar Wilde References, Queer History, Queer Themes, Research, Research Paper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-26 10:37:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14400372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumbleholmes/pseuds/bumbleholmes
Summary: A couple months ago, I was asked to write a research paper for one of my final grades in my last English course of public school. We were asked to choose a Victorian-era English novel; my teacher gave us a list, but naturally, I asked specifically for something else.As the tags say, 'A Study in Love' delves deep into the original homo-romantic subtext, queer history references and ties, and true love demonstrated within ACD's classic tales. This is their story.





	A Study in Love

**Author's Note:**

> This paper was rushed, and my sources were limited from school computers, but I believe I fulfilled my duty well, and thought I'd share. I hope this helps, and enjoy!
> 
> (Sources are listed at end - if you use my paper as a reference, please contact me, or directly link this work. Thank you!)

**A Study in Love**

On a famous path of lost blood, tears, and lives, a tightly-bound community remains constant, hanging on to each other and those who suffered for their liberty. History has proven itself to be a cruel hand in the lives of those tied together by fragile, seemingly-impossible hopes; but fiction, a fresh beat of creative eloquence, remains as another story, another timeline in which context and subtext become desperately needed. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a man whose audaciously inventive mind refused to stop when presented with the societal cage of the Victorian Era, created two men whose hearts continue to beat on for each other over a century past their original peak. Sherlock Holmes, the famed sleuth who perfectly illuminates the image of art clashing with logical science, was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as a homosexual man, hopelessly entangled in a web of affection for the only man who broke that stone-cold façade the public eye saw: Dr. John Watson.

With a population lethally stifled by tight-collared marriages and religious expectancies, there’s no doubt as to why stories of adventure, scandal, and boundary-pushing characters stood out. Irony clouded the popularity of Conan Doyle’s works, as his audience abhorred any true break in the safety net Victorian society had set in place. Infidelity (when committed by a woman), satanic worship, and homosexuality are famously revered as some of the worst crimes of the age, challenged only by murder. Sexuality was regarded as a very private affair, and sexual acts committed between two people of the same sex, particularly men (whereas lesbianism was borderline unheard-of), were deemed as high offenses to the public itself. The law, only having just been lifted of the death penalty in 1861 (Feb. 2005, lgbthistorymonth.org.uk), outlawed sex between two men, and was punishable by hard labour or a life sentence of imprisonment. Despite serving as the first embers of a modern revolution, the trials,sentences, and lost lives of members to the queer community dampened any prospects for a brighter future. 

Near the turn of the century, a vital point in queer history unfolded; Oscar Wilde, the famed astute author, was tried for indecency in the spring of 1895. While sparking extreme, national interest from the media, the weeks following his imprisonment lead to many homosexual couples and people fleeing the direct light of booming London to the secluded countryside; this is visible in many works of literature, but most notably in Arthur Conan Doyle’s  _ Adventure of the Three Students _ , in which Dr. Watson says directly in his narration: ‘It was in the year ‘95 that a combination of events, into which I need not enter, caused Mr. Sherlock Holmes and myself to to spend some weeks in one of our great university towns…’ (Arthur Conan Doyle 521). The refuge and indictment served as a horrible, tragic awakening for the entire queer community, whether they attended underground gatherings or quietly suffered in a life they did not belong in. Wilde himself kept his dignity, identity, and wit throughout the process, despite the humiliation and shame the public brought upon him. 

Years before his downfall and amid the peak of his artistic career, Oscar Wilde met Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at a dinner party thrown in the late summer of 1889 (two years after the publication of the first Holmes story,  _ A Study in Scarlet _ ). Wilde left an ‘indelible impression’ on Conan Doyle, who later described the party as that ‘golden evening’. The two men, greatly inspired by their shared eloquence, promised to write stories for a popular magazine at the time,  _ Lippincott’s _ , which later developed into the second Holmes story,  _ The Sign of Four _ , and Wilde’s famous novel,  _ The Picture of Dorian Gray _ . The two met again only on one occasion, in which Wilde asks Conan Doyle if he has seen a play of his which was running, all with the ‘gravest face’; however, after Wilde’s death,  _ The Adventure in the Empty House _ (1903) was published, mirroring  _ The Picture of Dorian Gray _ with a wax figure resembling the protagonist, Sherlock Holmes himself, made by a talented artist,  _ Oscar _ Meunier. (‘ _ Let's Talk About’)  _

The romantic context of the two writer’s relationship has been disclosed, but revealed even more possible as Conan Doyle attempted to save Sir Roger Casement’s life - which was on the line, as he had been accused of homosexuality - by a published claim of insanity. The conviction might have been swayed, had it not been for the discovery of Casement’s diary, which described homosexual activities in detail. Even after Casement and Wilde’s deaths, the public learned that Arthur Conan Doyle was much more liberal towards sexuality than the average Victorian man. Logically, his viewpoints may have come into close connection with his works, including every tale of the Sherlock Holmes establishment. (Lambda Literary: ‘Sherlock Holmes: Queer, Straight, Neither?’)

The stories, from the revolutionary  _ Study in Scarlet _ to  _ A Case of Identity _ , in which even the reader's question who and what to believe, hold too many allusions to historical events, people, or places to count. Arguably, this characteristic is what makes the crimes tangible, and the tales closer to Earth; however, in many of these adventures, each break-through in crime brings forth a new perspective on the characters, who drive and fulfill the each of the stories’ potential through strong, familiar, and unique personalities. Sherlock Holmes, the master of observation, canonically struggles with an addiction to cocaine (Arthur Conan Doyle 67) and inability to express his emotions to other people. John Watson, having served with the British Army in Afghanistan, suffers from PTSD and the medical field’s difficulties. The two, each drawn to danger, compel each other to live on, despite their difficulties. Their friendship, touched on multiple times as a revolutionary star among the crime-based tales, serves as the age-old image of the head completing the heart, and vise versa. With the stigma surrounding homosexuality, friends, flatmates, and partners in adventure served as the set positions for the two men, who desperately needed only to be understood. Conan Doyle wrote the stories as mysteries, but detail - which Holmes himself holds extremely dear - reflects the true importance of any tale. They were meant to be flawed, to bring that ancient philosophy to light: even the best of heroes are not perfect. 

Famous interpretations of the sleuth include the argument that Holmes represents man abandoning all human need for the pursuit of knowledge, sexuality defines the slack upon humanity, and his mind functions as a machines. This thought is dismissed several times, despite Holmes’ claims; in  _ A Scandal in Bohemia _ , he rushes to save a woman in distress (Arthur Conan Doyle 130); after his return from death and causing Watson to faint, he voices his condolences, ‘My dear Watson,” said the well-remembered voice, “I owe you a thousand apologies. I had no idea you would be so affected,’ (421); in  _ The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier _ , he calls Watson the ‘ideal helpmate’ (875), among other various terms repeating throughout the tales, such as variations of ‘my dear’ and ‘my fellow’. Holmes is proven time and time again not to be the stone-cold, mechanic brainiac the public views him as, drawn to devote himself to Watson and what is, at it’s root, the right cause. 

Although the obvious symbolism of the tender heart behind the great mind resides as a major factor in his characterisation, Watson does not narrate Holmes’ deep affection for others until  _ The Adventure of the Three Garridebs _ . The doctor is shot while chasing a suspect, and Holmes, without a second thought, reacts on impulse to ensure Watson is safe: 

 

There was a crash as Holmes's pistol came down on the man's head. I had a vision of him sprawling upon the floor with blood running down his face while Holmes rummaged him for weapons. Then my friend's wiry arms were round me, and he was leading me to a chair. "You're not hurt, Watson? For God's sake, say that you are not hurt!" It was worth a wound -- it was worth many wounds -- to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation. (Conan Doyle 917)

 

Immediate, gut-driven reactions have the tendency to show the best and worst sides of us. In this case of truthful desperation, a weakness and a strength bubble up from behind a cold exterior, expelling affection and devotion, ultimately illuminating the true brilliance of more than just Sherlock Holmes’ great mind, but his romantic heart, too. Within the pressure to conform to an unforgiving society, many relationships revolved around these adrenaline-fueled moments, bringing a new spark to their affection. This affection, rooted deeply in a society meant to keep them apart, near-death chases, and familiarity to the highest extreme, separates the consulting detective and ex-soldier’s relationship from any other, especially from other friendships between men in the Victorian period. The attention Conan Doyle brings to how adoring, dependent, and intimate the two men are - despite the societal restrictions - brings the question of the true nature of their relationship to the surface, well into the 21st century.

John Watson, as put by Sherlock himself, is a revolutionary ‘conductor of light’ (Conan Doyle 576). He often voices his concerns for Holmes from a medical and loving perspective, shares his affection through comments of how the detective pushes his body’s boundaries, the danger he puts himself in, and how utterly brilliant he is - both his mind and heart. _ A Scandal in Bohemia _ elaborates on his affection for the detective elaborately, perhaps most notably when he tells Holmes that ‘“You would certainly have been burned had you lived a few centuries ago”’ (Conan Doyle 123). Although both descriptive and vague, Watson uses this as a warning mechanism, which Holmes immediately dismisses - he is, after all, living in a much freer period than the mid-1800s. Again, in  _ Bohemia _ , Watson refers to the entrance to their shared flat, 221b Baker Street as ‘the well-remembered door, which must always be associated in my mind with my wooing…’ (Conan Doyle 123). He refers not to his home with his wife as his place of ‘wooing’, but to his and Holmes’ escape from the busy London streets; this highlights a very suspicious aspect of his feelings for the detective, as he describes a picture of him attempting to gain the man’s adoration. Furthering this endeavour of catching Holmes’ attention, the ex-soldier refers to his friend as ‘my dear Holmes’ in almost every story, particularly in very emotional situations, such as the detective’s deductions of Watson’s personal state in  _ A Scandal in Bohemia _ and his admission of concern in  _ The Adventure of the Speckled Band _ .

As they shared rooms for the majority of the tales, they never slept separately when away on business, as described multiple times. In  _ The Adventure of the Speckled Band _ , Watson builds onto this: ‘Sherlock Holmes and I had no difficulty in engaging a bedroom and sitting-room at the Crown Inn.’ Following their settling at the Inn, Holmes has trouble sleeping, and instead vocalises his worries to his partner, to which the doctor readily complies to help with: “Do you know, Watson,” said Holmes as we sat together in the gathering darkness, “I have really some scruples as to taking you to-night. There is a distinct element of danger.” “Can I be of assistance?” “Your presence might be invaluable.” “Then I shall certainly come.” (Conan Doyle 221) This exchange, enlightened through a dark, intimate bedroom, gives the men’s relationship an entirely unique facet.

While the doctor’s worry towards Holmes elects further narration onto personal issues, one being his elaborate drug problem, which is described both vaguely and intimately; the most famous being within the first page of _ The Sign of Four _ (inspired by Oscar Wilde), when Watson walks upon Holmes indulging in the addiction. He describes the detective as hesitant, and [‘with his long, white nervous fingers he adjusted the delicate needle, and rolled back his left shirt-cuff. For some little time his eyes rested thoughtfully upon the sinewy forearm and wrist all dotted and scarred with innumerable puncture-marks. Finally he thrust the sharp point home, pressed down the tiny piston, and sank back into the velvet-lined arm-chair with a long sigh of satisfaction.] Watson sees this ‘three times a day for many months’ before finally speaking up, despite his concern for Sherlock actually taking his advice. Upon approaching the scene, he asks simply, ‘Which is it to-day? [-] morphine or cocaine?’ Holmes admits freely to using a seven-percent solution of cocaine, but only fuels the flame of Watson’s concern. (Conan Doyle 67)

Arthur Conan Doyle brings the concern and affection from each of the men to the surface of the fiction series for a reason. The tales, while devout to their assigned drama, could not have gained such fame had it not been for the characters and their personal adoration. Symbolism aside, the two touch frequently, and intimate, quiet scenes, such as Watson’s spontaneous visit to Baker Street in  _ A Case of Identity _ : ‘I found Sherlock Holmes alone, however, half asleep, with his long, thin form curled up in the recess of his armchair. A formidable array of bottles and test tubes, with the pungent cleanly smell of hydrochloric acid, told me that he had spent his day in the chemical work which was so dear to him.’ (Conan Doyle 156) Again in the Adventure of the Empty House, after Holmes reveals himself as being alive after his supposed death, their intimacy is revealed: [‘I moved my head to look at the cabinet behind me. When I turned again, Sherlock Holmes was standing smiling at me across my study table. I rose to my feet, stared at him for some seconds in utter amazement, and then it appears that I must have fainted for the first and the last time in my life. Certainly a gray mist swirled before my eyes, and when it cleared I found my collar-ends undone and the tingling after-taste of brandy upon my lips. Holmes was bending over my chair, his flask in his hand’]; this urges Holmes to reply with a very emotional statement, ‘“My dear Watson,” said the well-remembered voice, “I owe you a thousand apologies. I had no idea you would be so affected.”’ (Conan Doyle 421). Despite the obvious allusions to physical closeness (Holmes undoing Watson’s collar, tending to him, and keeping his sanity while ensuring his partner is well), Conan Doyle makes it clear the two are much more than average friends - at least on a spiritual level.

Over a hundred-and-thirty years after the first publication of Sherlock Holmes, the belief in the detective’s queerness has become overwhelming; technology has boosted the popularity and thesis internationally. Forums, articles, and blogs discuss the original stories’ clues, as well as possible takes on modern adaptations. However, every ounce of energy put into those thoughts and ideas originates from the classic stories, which fully introduce, describe, and illuminate each of the characters and their potential through thrilling, emotional tales. The light was casted on Sherlock Holmes’ adoration for John Watson years ago; the subtext remains as the primary source of a true understanding of their motifs, stories, and beauty. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle planted each sentence with a spark in mind, leaving his legacy behind as a perfect, eloquent flow of inspiration - which led every reader, every fan, to look at the detail and to observe, not just see, or from the detective himself, ‘It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important’. The petals of detail, sparkling with the stars’ dust, lead those fortunate enough to look to the truth, finding hope, courage, liberty, and love in the pages stained with sorrow and grief of the Victorian Era’s queer community. Sherlock Holmes serves as a literary torch, carried through generations and crises, through struggling minorities, bringing mystery to social bravery.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  
  
Camper, Cathy. “Sherlock Holmes: Queer, Straight, Neither?” _Lambda Literary_ , Lambda   
           Literary. Web. 20 Aug. 2010.      

[ www.lambdaliterary.org/features/03/08/sherlock-holmes-queer-straight-neither/ ](http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/03/08/sherlock-holmes-queer-straight-neither/) .

 

Doyle, Arthur Conan, and Kyle Freeman.  _ The Complete Sherlock Holmes _ . Vol. 1-3, Barnes &

Noble Classics, 2004.

 

_ Gay History Flag Poster _ . Feb. 2005,  [ www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/ ](http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/) . Web.

[ http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/documents/9631_GHW-A3FlagPoster.pdf ](http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/documents/9631_GHW-A3FlagPoster.pdf)


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